A few reviews of some music new to me that I've recently been
wrapping my ears around - including alternate opinions on stuff
already discussed and some not so new bits and pieces, but anyway -
here goes /// All opinions are totally subjective, so please don't
flame, kill, maim or disfigure :::
ANIMALS ON WHEELS : Designs and Mistakes (Ninja Tune)
Oweeeeee!!! This is *it*. All that's been said about this and more
holds true : an excellent release and so late in the year a definite
contender for my favourite album out of '97. Swirly, swishy, swoopy
in places, meaty, beaty, big 'n bouncy in others - atmospheric,
innovative, reflective, eclectic - it's all here (and I can't spot
the moniker's mistakes). Brilliant. Geddit. NOW.
AS ONE : Planetary Folklore (Mowax)
Still very new to me and unexplored, though "21st Century Soul's"
recent utterance that this was 'one of those seminal albums'
somewhat surprises me. It immediately strikes me as far more
interesting and varied than last year's The Message in Herbie's
Shirts and has excellent moments on it - but maybe it's a grower.
I'll play it again, Sam. (Q: Why is this Mowax and other As One
material comes out on Clear?)
FLUKE : Risotto (Astralwerks)
Yes ! Serve up a big dish of this - it's hot ! My recent question
posed to this list about it netted mixed reviews and somebody
likened it to Underworld. Though that wouldn't have sprung to my
mind, I can see where it's coming from. Okay, so stick Underworld
and Orb/livion into a blender and give the whole blend a Deep Dish
sheen and off you go. Maybe that's not entirely fair... hard to
categorise, but certainly an enjoyable (and melodic) listen. Not for
those of you who love unmitigated noizz.
BILL LASWELL MEETS STYLE SCOTT INNA - Dub Meltdown
(WordSound Recordings) Well - trying to be nice here - the best
thing about this is the actual green and black disc itself. Kewl :-/
As for the content [sigh] Mr. Laswell sure churns 'em out convenyor
belt style and this one is certainly going to be enhanced by the mean
green combustible, but no, I wouldn't even want it thumping in the
Kombi while watching the boyz surf. Boring to the n-th, dubby
noodling with pretentious titles. It's been done before and better.
DROME : Dromed (Kiff)
This German 'techno explorer' gentleman, Bernd Friedmann, was
somebody new to me and I'm glad to have made his acquaintance. Ice
cool ambient dubby tr*ph*p IDEAL to drift off on happy somnolent
journeys to. Let the 50 minutes run, then push 'repeat' - you won't
regret it, as it lulls your mind into a fuzzy state of woozy
wellbeing. Oooooh, nice.
SUBROSA : Underwood (SubRosa)
This '96 sampler features an interesting slew of culprits : Seefeel
/ Scanner / MoM / Islamic Diggers / Mick Harris / Bill Laswell et al.
Opening track is supplied by N^us (who?) : a sublimely beautiful and
haunting song titled "Lament" but the voice is Tom Jones does Peter
out of Type O Negative. Pity, because it's actually the standout
track here. These rest come and go without grabbing my by the
ankle, although I do seem to have been playing it rather a lot. Only
jarring appearance comes from Laibach, who seem to be a little out
of place amongst the others on offer.
OLIVE : Miracle (EP) (BMG)
Not my usual fare, this, but worth a look-in due to its 6 mixes and
running time of 40 minutes. After the predictably pedestrian Radio
Edit & Extended mixes, we get the Deep Dish Miracle of Dub Remix
which throbs and ebbs and swells beautifully, then into the Monkey
Mafia remix, which punches and steams, followed by Roni Size's
kickin' remix, this EP's killa - complete with deliberate staccato
stuck-CD-sound cut-ups and then into Black Olive's Deeper Dub final
track... not bad all in all.
DEATH IN VEGAS : Twist & Crawl EP (Deconstruction)
Bit of a letdown for someone who adored Dead Elivs. Here we have
the magnificent ska track the British Beat originally did with lots
of rasta rapping but minus the melody line. Two short mixes : Edit &
Full Mix. No surprises here, but yeah ... good for a party. Tracks 3
& 4 are Opium Shuffle off the album - Dead Elvis mix, followed by
Mankey Mafia mix (they get around, huh?!) No, I'm not sorry I've got
this (pretty cover!) but I'll reserve it for manic moods when only
the *loudest* will do, and I can dance myself into an anonymous
stupor in my bedroom..... nuff said :-)
Thanks for your time.
*************************** SUBSTAR *************************
"Incomplete without surface noise"
- Autechre